under the microscope - cmlta...upcoming events bcsls - congress 2010 september 30 - october 3 in...

President’s Message

I don't know what your destiny will be, but one

thing I do know; the only ones among you who

will be really happy are those who have

sought and found how to serve.

-Albert Schweitzer

Having spent the last year in the role of

President for the College, I have had the

chance to gain a great deal of in-depth

knowledge about the role of a regulatory

College, and also why it is so important

that we maintain our status as a self-

regulating profession. As mandated by

government legislation, the primary role

of the College is public protection, nothing

more, nothing less. This is a very stark,

black and white, Machiavellian definition

of why the College exists, but this truly is

the definition of a regulatory body. How-

ever, there is much more to how we

achieve the over-arching principle of pub-

lic protection.

As a professional group, we have, and

are members of, a tremendous organiza-

tion that exists for the purpose of public

protection and safety. A review of the

mission, vision, and value statements de-

veloped by College Council reveals the

guiding principles by which all College

activities are carried out. Through activi-

ties mandated via legislation, the College

provides members with avenues to attain

right to title and licensure on a specific

register (General, Diagnostic Cytology,

and Clinical Genetics), demonstrate mini-

mum standards of competence, and adju-

dicate professional conduct. Collectively,

these activities provide assurance to the

public that individuals who have attained

membership in this ―exclusive‖ group are

performing their professional duties in a

manner that fosters public trust and confi-

dence.

One of the primary responsibilities of the

College that contributes to public protec-

tion is the Continuing Competence Pro-

gram (CCP). This program provides evi-

dence for the general public and govern-

ment, that our profession takes continuing

education and professional development

very seriously. This is a mandated function

as set out by the Health Professions Act;

therefore, if the College cannot provide

tangible evidence that its membership is

competent, the College may loose the

privilege of self-regulation and the gov-

ernment intervenes. The process of self-

directed learning based on self-

assessment was developed for and by

members of the College, and government

(Continued on page 9)

Special points of interest:

COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS

CCP CORNER

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

ANSWERS TO YOUR

QUESTIONS

IMPORTANCE OF CSMLS

MEMBERSHIP

Inside this issue:

October 2010 Volume 3, Issue 3

A L B E R T A C O L L E G E O F M E D I C A L L A B O R A T O R Y T E C H N O L O G I S T S

Under the Microscope

CCP CORNER

2

RANDOM AUDIT

PROCESS

4

ANNUAL REVIEW

PROCESS

4

VOLUNTEERS

REQUIRED

5

BALANCING

COMPETING

INTERESTS

7

CCP LINKED TO THE

LAB

11

CCP Corner

My employer offers several continuing education opportunities, but why bother if it won’t apply to my Learning Plan?

The College would never discourage a member from participating in any learning activity and encourages all members to take full advantage of any opportunity to increase competence or

general awareness in the medical laboratory field.

The Continuing Competence Program (CCP) is based solely on a self assessment. The intent of the self assessment is to evaluate those areas that you are currently practicing in. Through this self assessment members determine those competencies which may need to be learned, improved, or enhanced. These identified competencies become the Learning Objectives of a Learning Plan which is required to fulfill government requirements. A Learning Plan is only a snapshot a mem-ber’s annual learning, it by no means captures all professional development and continuing edu-

cation that an MLT attains on an annual basis.

DID YOU KNOW?

If you need to change your

learning plan due to unforeseen

circumstances such as a change in

your area of practice, contact

our Manager of Professional

Practice/Competence at

[email protected] for

guidance.

If a member retires and is called

to audit, it is the member’s pro-

fessional responsibility to submit

the required documents to ensure

their member file is closed in

good standing.

There is a ―cheat sheet‖ detailing

various learning activities/

documentation that can be used

as Resources and Strategies on

your Learning Plan. Check it out

under Member Access — Con-

tinuing Competence Program —

At a Glance

You can update your Learning

Plan on-line between January 15

and September 1.

You can take out an Associate

membership while on leave from

the College. This membership

keeps you informed about Col-

lege activities and initiatives and

avoids the $125.00 reinstate-

ment fee upon returning as a

practicing member! If you return

mid-year to practice, you only

pay the difference between the

Associate and full standing MLT

Practice Permit fee.

Members can update their con-

tact information (e.g. address,

email, etc.) on-line at:

www.acmlt.org.

If you prefer hard-copy, the Col-

lege can mail you Under the Mi-

croscope. Please contact us at

[email protected].


Bursary Award

Deadline: Dec. 31, 2010

YOUR STAGE

BOISVERT, Yvette

DAVIES, Dustin

FROUDE, Trevor

HALYK, Lois

Volume 3, Issue 3

For more information and application forms, visit our website under:

Member Access - Award Program

College Professional Development Certificate Recipients

HODGSON, Lydia

MCATHEY, Sharon

WALKER, Christine

Award of Merit

Deadline: June 1, 2011

Award of Distinction

Deadline: June 1, 2011

AWARD OF

DISTINCTION

Student Awards

Kirsten Watkinson -

SAIT MLA program

AGM/PD

Symposium

Incentive Winner

Denise Vanson won

$150 off her 2011

MLT Practice Permit

Dues.

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/illustrations-vectors/vector-backgrounds/7138654-award-plaque.php?id=7138654

Annual Review Process

The annual review is applied to each MLT re-

newing their Practice Permit. The annual review

is designed to ensure all MLTs have complied

with the mandatory requirements of the Con-

tinuing Competence Program as legislated by

the Health Professions Act. As such, the College

is unable to issue a Practice Permit until a re-

view of the member’s documents has taken

place. The annual review focuses on the com-

pletion and on-line submission of the following

documents to the College:

Practice Permit Renewal Form

Learning Tutorial quiz (if applicable)

Completed Learning Plan

Area of Practice, Expertise, and

Responsibility Form

Annual Self-Assessment

Learning Plan for the upcoming renewal

year outlining 3-6 new learning objectives

Continuing Competence Declaration

If during the review, omissions or errors with the

above documents are noted, the College will

request the member make the corrections and

return the documents to the College before their

application can be processed.

MLTs are required to keep copies of these

documents as well as documentation of all

learning activities, for a minimum of five years.

In the event that you are audited and you need

the College to retrieve information, a $75 fee

shall be applied. Should you encounter any

difficulties during your renewal please contact

the College for assistance.

Random Audit Process

To ensure the integrity of the Continuing Compe-

tence Program (CCP), the government mandates

that the College randomly select a percentage of

MLTs each year for audit. Members may be

called to produce documents for one, and up to

five of the previous years. If called to audit, an

MLT will receive a registered letter outlining the

documentation required for the process. These are

the same documents you are required to print and

keep at the time of renewal, along with the sup-

porting documentation of your learning activities.

You will also need to provide a completed Re-

cording Log Sheet. This form is available on-line

or from your CCP binder. You are welcome to

provide your own method of recording as long as

it includes all the necessary information. In either

case, your documentation needs to be in chrono-

logical order and easily cross referenced with

your completed Learning Plan. You will be given

a 30 day deadline to submit the required docu-

ments to the College.

The College Continuing Competence Committee

(CCC) will review your submitted documents and

determine if you have complied with the require-

ments of the CCP. Once deemed successful, you

will be sent a letter indicating you have passed

the audit. If the CCC determines that your submis-

sion is incomplete, you will receive a letter outlin-

ing what is required to complete your audit. These

requirements will need to be corrected and for-

warded back to the College within 30 days.

It is the intent of the College to ensure transpar-ency of both the annual review and random audit processes. Should you have any comments or con-cerns please contact [email protected].


mailto:[email protected]

Do you wish to meet new people?

Do you want to acquire some new communi-

cation and leadership skills?

Do you want to make a difference?

There are several opportunities available to

members to volunteer with their College:

Council

Registration Committee

Continuing Competence Committee

To ensure continuity and overlap of volun-teers, Council staggers appointments to regu-latory and member service committees. Members interested in volunteering for any of the above College committees, and who would like additional information regarding volunteer roles and responsibilities, may con-tact the office at [email protected] or log onto the College Website at www.acmlt.org to access information. A Volunteer Handbook and Resource Form can be found on the web-site under Member Access > Volunteering

Volume 3, Issue 3

with the College. Terms of Reference for the positions of interest may also be requested from the office. Volunteer vacancies will also be posted on the College Website for member’s informa-tion. Vacant positions are typically filled just prior to year end (Dec 31) but may also be filled throughout the year as needed. All Volunteer appointments must be approved by College Council in accordance with Council Process Policies. Come volunteer - grow personally, contribute

to your College, and make a difference !!

College Volunteers Required

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.acmlt.org

Upcoming Events

BCSLS - Congress 2010 September 30 - October 3 in Sidney, BC

CSMLS - Congress 2011 June 10-13, 2011 in Halifax, NS


There is no such thing as value in this world.

You can only estimate what a thing is worth to you.

- Charles Warner

At our Annual General Meeting/Professional Devel-

opment Symposium on September 25, 2010, multi-

ple members informed the College that a recent

communication from Alberta Health Services (AHS)

stated that membership with the CSMLS was not

required for employment in Alberta. The memo did

outline some of the benefits of CSMLS membership;

nonetheless it appears that many MLTs/MLAs have

been discouraged from maintaining their affiliation

with the CSMLS.

The College feels there is tremendous value in

CSMLS membership and strongly encourages our

members either maintain or initiate a membership

with the CSMLS. The College supports CSMLS mem-

bership solely for the benefit of our members as we

have no political, financial, or economic gain from

taking this stance. The CSMLS promotes, maintains,

and protects the professional identity and interests

of medical laboratory professionals in situations

that may be in conflict with the mandate of a regu-

latory College whose mandate is public protection,

not membership promotion.

CSMLS membership provides the following:

awards

student scholarships

grants for continuing education and profes-

sional development

grants to attend Congress (LABCON)

relevant and timely courses that can be

applied to the Continuing Competence Pro-

gram or meet conditions on practice per-

mits for those re-entering the profession

advocacy

professional liability insurance and legal

defense coverage

One of the most important benefits of CSMLS mem-

bership is the low cost professional liability and legal

defense coverage. Professional liability insurance

(PLI) provides coverage for civil litigation arising

from malpractice in your role as an MLT or MLA.

Legal defense insurance pays for the cost of legal

representation in the event that you are called to

appear as a witness (in your capacity as an MLT/

MLA), at a coroner’s inquest or civil proceeding, and

it provides coverage for legal defense costs for dis-

ciplinary hearings before a regulatory body, and

proceedings in criminal court upon a not guilty find-

ing. With the rise of complaints of unprofessional

conduct our College has experienced over the past

years, every practicing MLT/MLA should have this

insurance as it is not provided by your employer or

the College.

Some provinces, such as New Brunswick, have legisla-

tion in place that mandates all practicing MLTs/MLAs

must have CSMLS memberships before they can seek

employment. In Alberta, our legislation only stipu-

lates that MLTs must have registration and a valid

practice permit from the College as a condition of

employment. As laboratory professionals, we

shouldn’t require government legislation to highlight

the importance and worth of CSMLS membership . . .

we should recognize these ourselves.

Lori Kmet, MLT, BSc (MLS), MBA

Executive Director/Registrar/Complaints Director

Importance of CSMLS Membership

Balancing Competing Interests by Richard Steinecke

Most health science students are required to take some social science or humanity courses at university. These studies are of the most benefit to health prac-titioners like Medical Laboratory Technologists. As professionals, MLTs will occasionally face am-biguous and imprecise circum-stances requiring a different type of analysis than is needed

on the bench.

A physician calls asking for some samples to be prioritized be-yond that provided by the usual policies of the lab. The first relates to a client who is suffering pain which cannot be treated until the lab rules out an unlikely diagnosis. There is no risk of permanent damage to the client. The second sam-ple involves a suspected can-cer for a relative of a man-ager at the lab. The client is under significant emotional stress awaiting the outcome of the test. The third sample in-volves a client that the physi-cian believes has no signifi-cant problem. However, the physician cannot leave for her long week-end until the results come back. She wants to beat the

rush.

Not surprisingly, science and statistics courses offer little assis-tance in balancing the compet-ing interests raised by this three-pronged request. Perhaps the simplest solution is to never bend the rules regardless of the im-pact that this might have on the client, your physician colleague, and your laboratory colleagues. However, in a public health sys-

tem there is constant pressure to reshuffle priorities on considera-tions other than money. The com-peting interests are often not directly comparable. That is where one’s professionalism, in the broadest sense of that term, comes in to play. In these situa-tions, all of one’s life experi-ences, including that philosophy course at university, can help one find least unacceptable bal-

ance.

In the above example, it is cru-cial to understand not only the content of the lab rule or policy in issue, but also its underlying purpose, the importance to the credibility of the health system of not showing favourites along with the importance of the com-peting interests. Reasonable people could disagree on the most appropriate decision in some of these scenarios. Some of the ethical issues arising from the above example only arise because most laboratory ser-vices are publicly funded. Public

funding of the health care system places a higher duty upon MLT’s to carry out their professional obligations in a professional

manner.

A colleague, who is a practical joker, engages in horseplay that accidentally puts a machine out of commission for two hours. You help fix it. However, some press-ing laboratory results were de-layed. In your practice setting that means that client care could have

been compromised. Do you have a duty to report the incident? Does it mat-ter whether or not you work in a unionized labo-ratory? Does it matter whether you believe that because of personality clashes, the manager will likely over-react to the report? Does it matter that you and your col-league are both compet-ing for a position that you really want? Does it matter that the only way to cover up the incident is to make some false en-

tries in the equipment record for

the machine?

This scenario again illustrates the very difficult task that is involved in balancing competing interests (in this case to one’s colleague, one’s clients, one’s employer, one’s profession and oneself). The scenario also indicates that moti-vation is often a relevant consid-eration in balancing the compet-ing interests. Being a professional sometimes means taking action that you would prefer not to take


Volume 3, Issue 3


and which will cause you some personal

distress.

You are on the strategic planning committee for your laboratory. The Director has come up with a proposal to use some of the labo-ratory equipment for the testing of clinical trial samples. The difficulty is that several tests must be completed on the day shift, on a very expensive instrument of which there is only one. This would delay the reporting of patient results due to the additional work. It would mean; however, significant additional revenue for the lab, some of which would be used to purchase other needed equipment.

You are asked for your opinion.

A public health system means that MLTs act in the public interest; however, the public interest is not entirely obvious in many situations. In the above scenario, the MLT is not the decision maker. So his or her contri-bution would be in terms of advocating for an appropriate resolution that balances the competing interests including giving appro-priate weight to the financial interests of his

or her employer.

A public health system and the public inter-est requires an acute sense of professional-

ism, not just good technical skills.

Reprinted with permission from Richard Steinecke of Steinecke Maciura LeBlanc and the College of Medi-

cal Laboratory Technologists of Ontario.

(Continued from page 7)

Volume 3, Issue 3

was only a consultative partner.

The end product is the collective

work of our membership that

meets government guidelines and

standards. Our CCP model is

now being sought out by Col-

leges across the country as a

template for their mandatory

continuing education monitoring

programs. We should feel a

great sense of professional pride

and accomplishment as a profes-

sion knowing we are the gate-

keepers of this expertise and

knowledge.

Participation in the CCP is a

requirement for College mem-

bers, but the College also pro-

vides recognition for those fur-

thering their education and

maintaining or expanding their

areas of competence, thus con-

tributing to public safety and

protection. You may ask how

this is achieved as recognition

would appear to be acknowl-

edgement of individual achieve-

ment rather than something that

benefits the general public? In

fact, continuing education sup-

ported by the College, along

with other professional develop-

ment opportunities and bur-

saries/awards for students en-

courage all MLTs to better them-

selves and further develop their

skill set and knowledge base. In

summary, this encourages us to

become better technologists. It

can be viewed as a self-serving

(Continued from page 1) members that volunteer their time

to sit on Hearing Tribunals to ad-

judicate matters of unprofes-

sional conduct. The more than 40

individuals that volunteer with the

College demonstrate pride in

their profession and the impor-

tance of maintaining self-

regulation.

In my workplace, I witness indi-

viduals going over and above on

a daily basis to ensure the pa-

tient comes first. I see individuals

applying their skills and knowl-

edge to their utmost potential

and treating patient results as

if they are those of a family

member. Through contacts I

have with individuals from

other hospitals, larger centers

in the province, or those from

smaller rural facilities, I get the

distinct impression these mem-

bers have a great deal of

pride in their chosen profession.

Professional pride and integ-

rity is unmistakable and pro-

vides inspiration for all to believe

that we deserve to take a mo-

ment and feel good about whom

we are and what we do . . . to

remind ourselves that our profes-

sion is important. The public puts

their trust in our members’ hands

each day with the belief that

their interest is protected by the

College and ultimately by Col-

lege members.

This pride drives our members

and reinforces the importance of


opportunity to encourage indi-

viduals to strive for more, and as

a by-product the support we

provide to coworkers and the

quality of services we provide to

patients is improved . . . the pub-

lic is afforded protection and so

are our College members.

As I have outlined at the begin-

ning of my article, we are mem-

bers of the College because we

must maintain membership if we

wish to practice as an MLT in Al-

berta. But, we should see more

value in belonging to the College

than just a necessary evil to work.

I do see evidence of professional

pride from the general member-

ship and the role of volunteers is

one example. Volunteerism has

played a strong role in our Col-

lege as far back as the initial

development of our first College

policies and bylaws. Volunteers

also play an integral role in our

committees as set out in legisla-

tion, such as the Continuing Com-

petence Committee, Registration

Committee, and the regulated

President’s Message continued


Council Highlights:

The following highlights and summarizes key discussions/

decisions of Council that may be of interest to members of

the College and key stakeholders:

Approved funding to Student Endowment Awards

Hired a professional parliamentarian for the Annual

General Meeting

Reviewed the College’s position on pro-rating of

MLT Practice Permit dues. No changes approved.

Pro-rating only applies to initial applications and

reinstating members.

Continuing Competence Program . . . Linked to the Lab

Have you ever had to reject a specimen that had been improp-erly collected or requisitioned? Why did you reject it? What’s the worst that could happen? It takes a lot less time to analyze a mislabeled sample than it does to call the station (if it is even listed), request a recollec-tion, get ridiculed for inconven-iencing someone to reorder the test, wait for the recollection, and then finally receive the new specimen . . . all along the phy-sician is wondering why the lab is taking so long to get a result. The laboratory sets very high standards for specimen accep-tance criteria for many reasons, but ultimately it is to ensure the utmost safety of our patients. The Continuing Competence Pro-gram (CCP) has been devel-oped in much the same way. The Health Professions Act re-quires all regulated health pro-fessions to have a credible, ac-countable, and formal means of assessing and reporting the con-tinuing education of its members. MLTs are required to comply with the program requirements as a measure to ensure all MLTs working in Alberta are provid-ing quality patient care. The program requires members sub-mit an annual Learning Plan which identifies areas of im-provement based on completion of a self-assessment. The Learn-ing Plan must contain:

1. Learning Objectives

(minimum of three to a maximum

of six) – These learning objec-

tives are developed from the

Self Assessment and identify

areas of development and

learning, or areas of interest

related to your area of prac-

tice. Consider your learning ob-

jectives the “what” you are

planning to learn. Your learning

objectives need to be clearly

stated (avoiding abbreviations)

and should be realistic and at-

tainable within the year.

2. Resources and Strategies -

These are the learning activities

you plan to undertake to satisfy

the learning objectives. In other

words, they are “how” you

plan to fulfill your learning ob-

jectives. Examples of learning

activities are literature, courses,

conventions, policies, proce-

dures, and research. For a full

listing of approved learning

activities please refer to Mem-

ber Services — CCP — At A

Glance

3. Target date - You need to

provide the College with the

projected date of completion.

The College recognizes learning

activities that occur from Sep-

tember 1, 2010 to December

31, 2011. At least one target

date must occur in the registra-

tion year for which the MLT

Practice Permit is issued.

If any errors or omissions are

noted during the annual review

process, the College will request

the member make the correc-

tions and return the documents

to the College before their ap-

plication can be processed. No

matter how inconsequential these

requirements may seem, College

policy and legislation dictate that

the College must receive all

members’ required CCP informa-

tion before a Practice Permit

may be granted. Enforcement

through legislation is the govern-

ment’s mechanism to assure the

public that all MLTs have com-

plied with the annual competence

standards.

MLTs have a long and proud his-tory of providing safe and qual-ity patient services. Measures to ensure patient safety and protec-tion may be reflected in the specimen collection and accep-tance policies of your employer or in the College Continuing Competence Program. In either case, both are in place to uphold high standards in quality patient care. Larissa Fadish, MLT Manager of Professional Practice and Competence/Deputy Regis-trar

Volume 3, Issue 3

A. When the College increased

MLT Practice Permit dues in

2009 it considered dues/fees

of other provincial MLT regula-

tory Colleges and other Al-

berta health-related profes-

sional Colleges. Currently, our

College Practice Permit dues

are the highest in Canada, but

our MLTs are also the top earn-

ing MLTs across the country due

to their Collective Bargaining

Agreements. Our Practice Per-

mits dues are the median of all

Alberta regulatory healthcare

Colleges. If you consider that

a professional golfer pays

$1500 for the right of title

―professional golfer‖, our Col-

lege dues of $590 are not un-

reasonable. A professional

golfer contributes to society

and the lighter side of life;

however, they do not impact

patient wellbeing, nor can their

profession save a life.

Answers to Your Questions from the Open Forum at the PD Symposium/AGM

Practice & Competence/

Deputy Registrar

Executive Assistant

Finance Manager

The College contracts the posi-

tion of Hearings Director.

The College had 6.0 FTE in

2008 and decreased to 4.0

FTE in 2009. The College has

experience with the adage ―do

more with less‖. The College

continues to perform the same

functions and meets all regula-

tory obligations and timelines

with two less staff positions.

A. The College has four paid

staff and one contract em-

ployee. The College staff con-

sists of:

Executive Director/

Registrar/Complaints

Director

Manager of Professional

Q. Please compare the ACMLT fees to other provinces.

Q. How many paid staff at the ACMLT? How did it increase since the start?

Q. Why are our fees so high? Where does the cost benefit me?

A. A professional regulatory

body is a self-sustaining entity

and must charge appropriately

to cover operating costs. The

College is a not-for-profit or-

ganization so our goal is cost

recovery and a stable financial

position, but not to profit from

our members. In 2008, our Col-

lege experienced a dramatic

rise in the number of complaints

of unprofessional conduct and

as a result, Practice Permit

dues increased to cover associ-

ated legal costs. The College

continues to experience an in-

crease in the number of com-

plaints and complexity of cases

of unprofessional conduct, so

there is always the potential

for another increase at some-

time in the future.

The College exists as a quasi-

extension of government as we

are bound by legislation and

our primary role is protection

of the public. A self-regulating

College is beneficial to mem-

bers as it is governed (e.g. Col-

lege Council) and staffed by

other MLTs who have a keen

understanding of the role of an

MLT. Although the College

mandate is public protection

and safety, College Council

and staff try to balance inter-

ests of the public and our mem-

bers whenever possible so that

decisions made are in the best

interests of both parties. Some

may not see self-regulation as

a benefit and privilege until it

is taken away. The legal pro-

fession in England has lost the

right to self-regulation and

now has administrators and

bureaucrats leading their pro-

fessional College . . . individu-

als that know nothing about

law and the profession.

Q. Can you provide tips to pass the Continuing Competence Program audit (e.g. type of

paperwork and documentation)? Can you print these in our newsletter?

A. The College Continuing

Competence Program binder

contains a document in section

5 that outlines the informal and

formal learning activities that

can be applied to your annual

Learning Plan and the specific

documentation required to sat-

isfy an audit. Many members

are surprised when they review

this document and determine

that they do not need to retain

a large amount of paper in the

event they are audited. Some-

times it is as simple as retaining

a certificate of participation in

a meeting, a copy of a publi-

cation title page listing the au-

thor and date, or the date,

type, and length of time (hours)

for annual review of a work-

place manual. The College re-

views and updates this docu-

ment annually so please refer

to the website under Member

Services > Continuing Compe-

tence Program > At a Glance

> Approved Learning Activities

and Documentation for the

most current version. This docu-

ment is four pages in length so

we would not routinely print it

in Under the Microscope, but

there is reference to it in the

October 2010 issue.

Q. What role does the ACMLT play if I had a dispute/confrontation with an employer where I felt

I required additional support?

A. The College does not have

jurisdiction in matters of this

nature as this is an employee-

employer issue. The Health

Sciences Association of Alberta

(HSAA) would play a role if

you had a dispute with your

employer.

If the dispute with an employer

has a direct impact on patient

safety and public protection,

this is a matter for the College,

but only if the individual

against whom the complaint is

directed is another regulated

member does the College have

jurisdiction. If a member wishes

to file a formal complaint

against an employer (MLT),

they must do so in writing and

the complaint must be signed.

Under the Health Professions

Act, the Complaints Director

must then act on the complaint

within 30 days.

Q. Can someone justify why there is an increase in spending in the ACMLT communication

budget?

A. The College has allocated

funding to the communication

budget to allow for redevelop-

ment of the College website.

Electronic media is the most

used form of communication

and one of the most efficient

and cost effective ways to

reach the public and our mem-

bers. The College has received

complaints from many members

that the site is not user friendly.

We have also had complaints

from the public and MLT stu-

dents that they do not have

access to information that is

contained on the ―members

only‖ side. The College man-

date is public protection so we

should be transparent in all our

activities and programs. The

College will be working with a

consultant to redevelop the

website and a new format is

targeted for release fall of

2011.


A. Absolutely, you can use the

AGM/Professional Develop-

ment Symposium as a learning

objective on your annual

learning plan. The College

honors learning activities be-

litigation arising from malprac-

tice in your role as an MLT or

MLA. Legal defense insurance

pays for the cost of legal rep-

resentation in the event that

you are called to appear as a

witness (in your capacity as an

MLT/MLA), at a coroner’s in-

quest or civil proceeding, and it

provides coverage for legal

defense costs for disciplinary

hearings before a regulatory

body, and proceedings in

criminal court upon a not guilty

finding.

A. The College does not pro-

vide Professional Liability Insur-

ance (PLI) or legal defense

coverage for our members.

CSMLS membership provides

MLTs with professional liability

and legal defense coverage.

PLI provides coverage for civil

Q. Can we use attendance at the AGM as one of our learning objectives?

Q. If I need legal representation due to a work complaint against me would the ACMLT have my

back and assist me?

Q. Can we bring back a continuing education committee?

A. College Council can give

consideration to this request if

there are a sufficient number

of members interested in volun-

teering with the College. Cur-

rently, the College has three

vacancies on the Continuing

Competence Committee and

four vacancies on the Registra-

tion Committee. Volunteer sup-

port and interest is essential in

ensuring viability of the Col-

lege.

The College does post links to

many continuing education insti-

tutions on the website. Some of

the institutions listed are NAIT,

SAIT, CSMLS, Michener Institute,

and BCSLS.

Q. It seems the ACMLT has discontinued the practice of inviting NAIT/SAIT students as guests to

Council meetings. What was the rationale for this decision?

A. There have been many transitions in staffing at the College over the previous two years. This

practice was not purposefully abandoned by the College as there is great value in introducing our

future MLTs to the College, its Council, and the role of a regulatory body. The College will institute

this practice for 2011 and formally invite MLT students to attend meetings of Council.


ginning September 1 to Decem-

ber 31 of a membership year.

At least one of your learning

objectives must be completed in

the membership year for which

the Practice Permit is issued. For

example, on your 2011 learning

plan, you can complete two

learning objectives in the fall of

2010, but at least one learning

objective must be completed in

2011.

301-9426 51 Avenue NW

Edmonton AB T6E 5A6

Phone: 1-800-265-9351

Fax: 780-437-1442

E-mail: [email protected]

Mission:

To ensure public protection through the regulation of Medical Laboratory Technologists and to provide

leadership for the advancement of the profession

Editorial Policy

The purpose of this newsletter is to provide a means of communication between the members of the College and its Council.

The opinions expressed in Under the Microscope are those of the contributors and do not constitutes official policy of the

College. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions as required.

self regulation. We understand as a

group what our role is in the provision

of health care and where we have the

greatest impact. We also understand,

collectively and individually, what works

in terms of ensuring we are doing what

is necessary to protect the ―public inter-

est‖. Pride in our profession keep our

profession strong. Without the guidance

of the College to navigate legislation

and oversee that our mandated respon-

sibilities are fulfilled, we could lose the

ability to regulate our profession.

When I observe the commitment of the

membership in lending their knowledge,

skills, expertise and time to ensure we

fulfill our fiduciary commitments as a

regulatory body, it makes me proud to

have had the privilege to serve as the

President of the College for 2010.

Respectfully submitted,

Darcy Gara, MLT

2010 President

(Continued from page 9)

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